Community Building for Jerks- Prelaunch

4.6

(10 ratings)

·

2 Days

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Cohort-based Course

A weekend sprint for people ready to create a space people can't live without. October 8th & 9th, 12pm-230pm EST

Course overview

It's time to build a community. Do you know how?

If you've got some strong opinions, here's a bit of good news: The best communities are built by jerks.


Community is the future of competitive advantage


Brand communities see higher LTV, greater retention, and higher product adoption.

Take this course if you're

01

An Aspiring Community Designer who wants a prelaunch framework

02

A Founder ready to create loyal, engaged brand advocates

03

A Community Manager who is struggling with engagement & looking for fresh strategy

Why jerks?

Because it takes guts

It takes guts to go where they are and talk with them on their terms. It's much easier to hope they come to you.

Because you're not for everyone

By building for the ones that matter, you're committing to ignoring the masses.

Because you're gonna have to get tough

Taking care of a community means you're on the hook to preserve the culture you've built.

Because humans are irrational

Even you. Even me. Even the most stoic or professional folks: they're all dealing with stuff, and you're going to have to navigate the murky waters.

We will cover

01

Community as a growth engine

You're going to start by choosing a unique community model to kick off as your strategic starting point, tying it directly to your business goals.

02

Community building blocks

Next, you're going to design a community identity that cannot be replicated, along with a social identity that attracts just the right people.

03

Community Positioning

Here, you will work through some mental models and hands-on exercises to clarify your community's unique vantage point.

04

Community platforms

Lastly, we'll examine common community platforms along with their pros and cons, working to pick the one that serves your specific community needs.

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"Community building" is not a new trend; it's been around since the beginning.


Brands are just now catching on, and often doing it very wrong.

But Why Build Community?

Your gospel: farther, faster

Your community will be your greatest brand advocates.

Competitive advantage

Products and services can be duplicated. Community cannot.

ROI where it counts

A sticky community means more money, time, and attention.

Continuous improvement

You won't have to wonder if it's working. You can just ask.

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Companies that build community will always be ahead of those who don't.

Meet your instructor

April MacLean

April MacLean

Founder, Wondry

It is a superpower to make people valued and connected. I have that superpower, and it's teachable.


Communities have been my focus for almost 20 yrs. I've worked with both founding teams and fortune 1000 companies on community strategy, including Sony Music, Infuse, HubSpot, and Late Checkout.

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What people are saying

        Damn! I've never worked so hard, so fast, but the progress was incredible. I have an entire plan of action and first the time, clarity.
Raj

Raj

Founder, Thrv.health
        Because April has the ability to deliver hard truths wrapped in kindness, it allowed me to complete a process in 2 sessions that I wouldn’t have completed in a year, even if someone gave me all the information.
Diane

Diane

InovAID
        April has changed everything for me and my business, for the better. She has helped me gain clarity and create clear guidance on my next steps.
Lee

Lee

Founder, Thames Valley
        I had started and failed two communities by the time I enrolled. I assumed I just didn't have a knack for it. Turns out, I skipped the most important parts. Forever grateful for this experience.
Linda

Linda

Creator, Circular Board

The sprint method

The sprint method

Uncomfortably effective

Information will come fast, bypassing the endless-research-overanalyzation part.

Live iteration

We will put pen to paper, share work, get feedback, and make rapid improvements.

Highly engaging

The pace of a sprint results in lots of energy, fewer zoom comas.

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Course schedule

3-6 hours per day
  • Saturday, October 8th

    12:00pm - 2:30pm EST

    On Saturday we'll cover the foundation of community + brass tacks decisions. We'll look at several case studies of both successful and failed communities, and start assembling your pre-launch roadmap.

  • Sunday, October 9th

    12:00pm-2:30pm EST

    On day two we'll work through finding your community's unique position and do a live walk-through of common community platforms

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